Suspender loop fastener



Feb. 21, 1939. p. I. REITER 2,147,922

SUSPENDER LOOP FASTENER I Filed Feb. 11, 1938 @y 1 a /6 M I NToR Dang] I ifer Patented Feb. 21, 1939 UNI TED S'TA'TES PATENT QFFZLCE .5 -.Claims.

This invention relates to inseparable two-piece fasteners and particularly to the type wherein the fastener parts are assembled and permanently locked together by relative axial compression.

My invention is particularly adapted for use in fastening back the end part of a suspender strap, where the suspender strap is bent over the loop carrying the strap to form a looped end on the strap slidable on the loop. Heretofore, tubular rivets have been used for this purpose, but such rivets when bent over and clenched, present comparatively sharp elements on the inside of the strap, which elements tend to rubagainst or catch in the shirt of the wearer and to ultimately tear the shirt or to prick the wearer.

My invention therefore contemplates theprovision of a two-piece quick-attachable fastener, each piece being provided with a flange adapted to engage either the surface of the body portion of the suspender strap or the bent-over or folded portion thereof, thcfastener parts or pieces being so constructed that they are easy to assemble, economical to manufacture and eflicient in operation, and being permanently assembled by merely compressing the parts toward each other after the passage thereof in opposite directions'through the strap parts to be'fastene'd.

My invention further contemplates the provision of a fastener of the character 'mentioned which can be economically and efficientlyproduced by automatic machinery and hence which is sufficiently inexpensive to take the place of rivets without the disadvantages of rivets hereinbefore mentioned.

The various objects of the invention will'be clear from the description which follows, and from the drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of an endfolded suspender strap and the carrying loop therefor partly in section, showing my improved fastener as it appears fastened in its operative position securing the folded part of the strap ,in place.

Fig. 2 is a combined partial elevation and a partial vertical section of my improved fastener,

showing the parts partly assembled but prior to the complete assembly thereof.

Fig. 3 is a similar View of a slightly modified form of the same.

In the practical embodiment of "my invention which I have shown by way of example, the end portion ID of the Suspender strap H is bentback around the strap-supporting loop l2 on to the body of. the strap to form the slide "loop l3, in the usual manner. To secure said end portion ID to "the body portion of the strap, I provide the twopiece inseparable fastener comprising the interengaging and. cooperating anvil part 14 and the eyelet part 20, each of said parts being made of a single piece of suitable metal, and each being passed through at least one of the layers of strap material by piercing the material or passing through suitable openings in said layers.

The anvil part II consists of an enlarged head or flange l5 having a preferably convex outer sur face [6 and a preferably flat under surface I! adapted to contactwith and to be pressed slightly into or to otherwise engage the surface [8 of the strap body. Depending from the .head or 'fiange l5 and of less outer diameter than that of said flange, is the hollow cylindrical extension or wall 19 which is provided with the opening 23 at its bottom and with the concave surface 2| at the interior of the top thereof, which surface forms the effective anvil portion of said part I4. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the cylindrical wall I9 is curved inwardly at its lower end as 22 to make the opening 23 of less diameter than the remaining uniform inner diameter of the wall l9. Evidently, the anvil part I4 is most conveniently made from solid rod stock by suitable automatic machinery, the free end portion of the wall I9 being rolled inwardly.

The eyelet part 20 is preferably made of a single piece of thin sheet metal and consists of the flange 24 which is adapted to engage the innermost surface 25 of the strap part If) and the projecting eyelet portion 26 which is preferably open at its top 21 and'its bottom and which tapers slightly inwardly toward said top. It will be understood that the eyelet part 26 is collapsible under compressive stress thereon, as is shown for example n Fig. 1. p V

The parts are assembled by inserting the wall I9 throughthe opening 28 of the strap body ll, inserting the eyelet part 26 of the eyelet 20 through the opening 29 of the strap part 25 and throughthe opening23 into the interior of the wall IS. The parts are then axially compressed together so that the toplz'l of the eyelet part engages the concave anvil surface 2l whereafter on further axial compression of theparts together, said eyelet part 2B is compressed to such an extent that it collapses within the hollow wall 19 and shortens in over-all length. During the collapse of the eyelet part 26, said part spreads or expands at certain partsto a diameter greater than the diameter ofthe opening 23, whereby the parts l4 and 20 are permanently secured together against separation. Since the upper part of the eyelet is slightly smaller than the lower part thereof and consequently somewhat weaker, it is the upper part of the eyelet which collapses. During the compression of the parts together, it will be understood that the flange 24 engages the surface 25 of the strap part and provides a flat or slightly rounded surface at said flange free of any protuberances or any sharp edges which might tend to tear the article of clothing against which said flange may rub. The head surface I! also engages the strap surface I8 at this time, such engagement of the head and flange with the strap surfaces determining the extent of the relative axial compressive movement of the fastener parts.

It will be seen from the above description that I have provided a simple, inexpensive but efficient inseparable fastener to secure two sheets or layers of material together by means of a simple and easily applied axial force, and that the oppositely disposed flanges of the thus assembled fastener provide smooth surfaces avoiding all danger of tearing or otherwise injuring an article of clothing with which they come in contact.

While I have shown and described a certain specific embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself there to, but intend to claim the invention as broadly as may be permitted by the state of the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A two-piece inseparable fastener for use in securing together the two thicknesses of material of a suspender strap, which strap is folded back on itself to provide a loop at an end of the strap and to provide two thicknesses of strap material beyond the loop, each of said thicknesses having a cylindrical opening therein aligned with the opening of the other thickness, one piece of said fastener constituting an anvil part being formed from solid stock and having a solid head of sufficient thickness to withstand the distorting effect of the eyelet hereinafter mentioned without the aid of a head-supporting tool, the outer surface of said head being flush with the outer surface of one thickness, a hollow cylindrical portion depending from the head inwardly of the periphery thereof, the length of said cylindrical portion being slightly greater than the thickness of said one thickness of material, said cylindrical portion being of substantially the same diameter and shape throughout as, and closely fitting, the cylindrical wall of said opening in said one thickness except at the bottom part of said cylindrical portion, said bottom part projecting beyond said one thickness and into the opening of the other thickness and being rolled inwardly toward the axis of said cylindrical portion and being of gradually diminishing diameter, least at its extremity to form an opening at said extremity of less diameter than the remaining internal diameter of the cylindrical portion, the internal diameter being the same throughout the cylindrical portion except at said extremity, the other piece of said fastener consisting of a flanged hollow eyelet passing through the other thickness of material and into the cylindrical portion, the upper end part of said eyelet being distorted in an indeterminate manner to an irregular diameter greater than that of the opening but not greater than said internal diameter of said cylindrical portion.

2. A two piece inseparable fastener adapted to be inserted in opposite directions into a pair of aligned cylindrical openings in two layers of material to hold said layers together, said fastener comprising a, one-piece anvil part of solid rod stock formed with a substantially flat disc-like solid head of substantial thickness sufficient to insure collapse of the eyelet hereinafter mentioned without distortion of said head and without the aid of a head-supporting tool, said anvil being formed with a hollow cylindrical extension depending from the head inwardly of the periphery of the head, the outermost surface of said head being flush with the adjacent surface of one of said layers when the fastener is assembled with said layers, said extension being of sufficient length to pass through one of said openings and to enter but not to pass through the other opening, a concave surface at the interior of the top of the extension closing the upper end of said extension, said concave surface meeting the internal cylindrical surface of the extension at a point spaced substantially below said head, said extension being of uniform inner diameter and of uniform outer diameter except at the lower end thereof to engage the cylindrical wall of the opening in one of said layers, said lower end gradually diminishing in diameter to an opening at the extreme bottom of said extension to provide a concave inner lower surface on said extension above the opening and a convex smooth outer surface thereon, the diameter of the opening being less than the remaining internal diameter of the extension, the thickness of said extension being less than the thickness of said head, and a one-piece eyelet part adapted to pass through into the other opening of said layers of material and into engagement with the concave surface of the top of the extension, said parts, when compressed together with the eyelet inserted into said extension, being permanently secured together by the collapse of the upper portion of the eyelet part in an indeterminate manner and the enlargement of said upper portion to an effective irregular diameter greater than the diameter of the bottom opening of the ex tension.

3. In a suspender loop strap doubled on itself to form two layers of material each having a cylindrical opening therein of substantially uniform diameter, means entering the openings to secure said layers together comprising a hollow rivet having a solid head at one end and a hollow cylindrical extension of substantially uniform diameter depending from the head and open and rolled concavely inwardly at the other end of the rivet to a diameter less than the internal diameter of the remainder of the extension, said extension closely fitting the wall of the opening in one of the layers of material, and a flanged eyelet passing through the opening of the other layer and irregularly spread inside of the extension to an irregular diameter greater than the least diameter of the rolled end of the extension.

4. A two-piece inseparable fastener comprising an anvil part of a single piece of material having a substantially flat head provided with an annular plane exposed under surface, a concave central under surface partly above and partly below the plane surface and a convex outer surface, said head being of solid material between said surfaces and being of sufficient thickness to withstand by itself the distorting effect of the eyelet-part hereinafter mentioned when said eyelet is forced against said concave surface and an integral hollow cylindrical extension projecting from the inner periphery of said plane surface and closed at its top by said concave surface and of less outer diameter than that of the head, said extension having an inner lateral surface of uniform diameter except at its bottom part, said bottom part gradually diminishing in diameter and being of lesser diameter than that of the remainder of said lateral surface, said lateral surface terminating at its top in said concave surface, and a flanged eyelet part having a projecting eyelet portion adapted to be forced into engagement with said concave surface and spread to an effective irregular diameter greater than the interior diameter of said bottom part but not greater than that of said lateral surface.

5. In a fastener of the character described, an anvil part in the form of a one-piece hollow rivet of uniform diameter open at its bottom and having a solid head at its top, a hollow externally and internally cylindrical extension depending from and of less diameter than said head, an in wardly concave and outwardly convex bend at the bottom part of the extension gradually diminishing in diameter and reducing the internal diameter of the rivet at its bottom extremity to an amount less than that of the remainder of the extension, and a flanged eyelet part adapted to be forced into the interior of the anvil part and distorted therewithin. in an indeterminate manner above said reduced bottom and below the top to increase the effective diameter of said eyelet part, said solid head at the top of said anvil part being of suflicient thickness to withstand unaided the distorting effect thereon of said eyelet part.

DANIEL I. REI'I'ER. 

